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Her Fearful Symmetry
- Narrated by: Sian Thomas
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
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Her Fearful Symmetry
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Summary
dearest e,
I told you I would let you know - so here it is - goodbye.
I try to imagine what it would feel like if it was you - but it's impossible to conjure the world without you, even though we've been apart so long.
I didn't leave you anything. You got to live my life. That's enough. Instead I'm experimenting - I've left the whole lot to the twins. I hope they'll enjoy it.
Don't worry, it will be okay.
Say goodbye to Jack for me.
Love, despite everything,
e
Julia and Valentina Poole are normal American teenagers - normal, at least, for identical 'mirror' twins who have no interest in college or jobs or possibly anything outside their cozy suburban home. But everything changes when they receive notice that an aunt whom they didn't know existed has died and left them her flat in an apartment block overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London. They feel that at last their own lives can begin...but have no idea that they've been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them, and even to their aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the twins' mother - and who can't even seem to quite leave her flat....
With Highgate Cemetery itself a character and echoes of Henry James and Charles Dickens, Her Fearful Symmetry is a delicious and deadly 21st-century ghost story about Niffenegger's familiar themes of love, loss, and identity. It is certain to cement her standing as one of the most singular and remarkable novelists of our time.
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about Her Fearful Symmetry
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-08-24
Abridged and you can tell
Definitely a quirky and unique story - not your run of the mill ghost story. It is beautifully read and an easy listen.
However, having read this story when it came out, maybe I had too high expectations. Sadly, the abridged version misses too much out and the story jumps around too quickly without fully explaining and exploring situations and relationships between characters. I am surprised that the author sanctioned it.
Having both read and listened to this book, I won’t ever download an abridged version again.
Considering this book? Read it instead - makes much more sense.
This is a shame as I could have listened to the performance of the reader for another 6 hours! She slipped effortlessly into all the different accents - I will definitely look out for books she has performed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- S. O'NEILL
- 19-07-10
Wonderful
I loved the quirkyness of the Time Traveller's Wife - and this is similarly bizarre as the story unfolds. It is beautifully read, with really distinctive voices and accents but it is trying to second guess the story that makes it so appealing - and the added layer of darkness and menace really gives the story an edge. Very easy listening - my only criticism was it was relatively short
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alison Cook
- 13-11-18
Downloaded as bed time story, forgot to fall asleep!
I chose this as I LOVED The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger . The narrator’s voice is lovely I thought I’d just drift off. However I was gripped. I’ve lived in flats in London and Visited Highgate Cemetery so that really made me want to find out more about the lives of these people. The end? Not quite resolved I thought. That’s why I’ve given it 4 not 5 stars. Interested to know what others think.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
- Thijs
- 06-06-16
Abridged version - they've left out too much
I kept waiting for the story to finally begin, but it never happened. When you abridge a book and gloss over this much detail, the whole story will seem like it's merely the introduction.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 02-07-10
Another gripping novel from Ms. Niffenegger
I loved 'The Time Travelers' Wife' and so was excited to find Ms. Niffenegger's latest novel on Audible. Superbly read by Sian Thomas, I found the book gripping and finished it all too quickly. Multi-stranded with interesting characters the book provides some insight into what must be like to be an identical twin. The supporting characters were of no less interest. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was sorry to finish it so quickly.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- J
- 29-12-10
Interesting & thought provoking
I enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the reader. The book is different and I found it refreshing. I hate formula books and I am delighted that the author has not taken to spilling out a book a year like many other authors. The story explores the dynamics of family relationships, specifically between mother and daughter and also between siblings. If you have a family member who literally loves you to death then read this book. See how boundaries (or lack thereof) can be so harmful. I can recommend it. It is dark.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- June
- 12-10-09
Intriguing idea
Loath to answer phone whilst listening to this and sad it is now finished.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Zoe
- 23-01-11
Could have been great
I failed to notice that this is an abridged version (won't make that mistake again).
I'm sure it's another great book by Niffenegger but it loses so much by being abridged - some gaps are glaringly obvious and leave you with the feeling that you are missing something important.
There's much to like about it, but it just didn't have the substance to be truly satisfying. Hold out for an unabridged version!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- S
- 22-11-09
Excellent
Really enjoyed this book would recommend
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Kid
- 22-01-14
A Light Spooky Tale
Where does Her Fearful Symmetry rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Pretty high up, not my fav but reread worthy.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Martin's accidents and Elspeth manipulating dust stick to mind. Lacking substantial character development thought overal.
Which character – as performed by Sian Thomas – was your favourite?
Martin, perhaps because he was the most relatable.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes and I did.
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